I originally read this book as part of a graduate seminar, while working on my master's degree at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. The book had a profound influence on my thinking both then and now. The compliment of chapters were thoughtful, and challenged the reader to step beyond convention. In many respects, this book was the first of its kind to present contrary evidence that critically evaluated the premises and subsequent design of experiments commonly used in ecology to test for competition among naturally occurring species. Through the authors exploration, I was encouraged to question even widely accepted paradigms in ecology in a credible, systematic, and respectful manner.